Final Fantasy 4: Redemption
by DarkPhoenix The Cherrl Fanboy
Summary: The events that transpire 12 years after Final Fantasy 4, and the story of Zemus' backup plan.
1. Kain: A Midnight Visit

**Final Fantasy 4 Redemption Prologue - Kain: A Midnight Visit**

It was pitch black in the city of Mysidia. The night had covered the whole city with it's veil, and no one dared go out into it. For the night had friends in other places, and no one really wanted to meed a shade or a spectre face to face.  
However, the city streets were not completely deserted.  
Morrigan scowled at herself. _How could I have been so careless?_, she thought. _The Fire Fiend warned me about their defenses; but what he told me was **nothing** compared to the real thing._  
Morrigan once again scowled, this time at the bundle in her arms. She reached over and pushed a loose lock of her long red hair back into position.  
_Why is this job so important?,_ she asked herself. _Master Darkheart ordered me to do it; said our **future** was riding on my performing this task. Why?_  
Still grumbling to herself, she moved on into the darkness.  
~~~~~~~~~~  
A short distance from the village of Mysidia, there was an area that was completely barren. It was as if the dragon god himself had wreaked bloody vengeance on the entire area. There was literally nothing left alive.  
Morrigan crept slowly into the clearing, her green eyes flashing in anticipation of completing her mission. For this was the final order she had received.  
Walking into the middle of the clearing, Morrigan dropped the bundle she had been carrying. Then she unwrapped it.  
It was a girl less than a year old. Her face was rimmed with a lock of beautiful silvery hair that seemed to shine in the moonlight, and her face just beamed. Her eyes shone with the light of innocence and purity; and Morrigan's skin crawled. She remembered meeting a man with the same light in his eyes, and the memory wasn't one of her fondest.  
But still, Morrigan never understood what the big threat was. Master Darkheart was one of the strongest men she had ever known; why was he afraid of this young girl? It wasn't like she was really dangerous or anything. But Master Darkheart must have known what he was doing.  
The infant smiled, not knowing that her life was about to be prematurely ended.  
"That's it, then. The task is done," Morrigan stated, more to herself than to the child. Then she rose to leave the clearing.  
It wasn't until she reached the edge of the clearning that she heard the sound. She spun around, more on instinct than anything, and saw the object of the noise.  
The infant was bawling her eyes out.  
"Well, it's not my problem," Morrigan once again said to herself. "My orders were to drop her off here, and leave her here to die."  
But still, **something** was bothering her. She couldn't help but think that there was something **wrong** with doing this. She turned around and looked at the girl again.  
And realized she wasn't crying anymore. Curious, Morrigan decided to observe the scene without being seen, lest she cause the girl to start crying again. _I have to know; what out here would maker her **stop crying**?_  
Hiding in the bushes nearby, Morrigan looked upon the abandoned child...and saw something that made her rub her eyes in wonder.  
There were wolves there...but rather than killing the child, like even Master Darkheart figured, they just observed her, then walked away. Some even licked the girl on her face...  
And the girl was smiling.  
_My God... I wonder if even Master Darkheart expected this...,_ Morrigan thought to herself. _This girl is most definitely not normal..._  
_The question is, what will happen if I do leave her here? Master Darkheart will be momentarily pleased; but it isn't likely to last very long. And I've **never** seen anything like this before..._  
_Should I save her?_  
Wondering about the correct path to take, Morrigan looked again. She saw the same scene as before; nothing had changed.  
Then Morrigan noticed the girl was looking straight at her. _Help me,_ her eyes screamed at Morrigan. _Don't leave me here!_  
Morrigan felt a sharp pain in her heart. And as she felt this pain, Morrigan realized something: she actually CARED about this girl.  
At that moment, Morrigan came to a very important decision: she knew she couldn't just leave this girl.  
Quickly standing up, she walked back out into the clearing. The wolves, clearly startled, ran back into the woods. Ignoring them, she picked up the infant and headed back into Mysidia.  
~~~~~~~~~~  
Kain couldn't sleep again.  
His nights were filled with dark dreams, dreams of the Dark Lunar Zemus. Kain heard the whisper of rewards that could be his and punishments he would recieve if he didn't follow Zemus' orders.  
And as always, he woke up drenched in sweat, the dream lurking on the edge of his consciousness, threatening to break in and destroy his sanity.  
_This is embarrassing. I've faced men and monsters, demons and dragons, imps and ifreets and even the Spirit of Hatred! Why am I so afraid of a dream?_  
_I wish Morrigan were here. Her presence is enough to stave off the dream's advances._  
And at that very moment, Kain heard a knocking on his door.  
_I wonder who would be visiting me at this time of night,_ Kain wondered, as he unbolted and opened his door.  
Morrigan stood in the doorway, her red hair shining in the candlelight. To Kain she looked like an angel.  
"Kain...I...," Morrigan started to say, but at that moment her energy reserves ran out and she collapsed on the floor.  
And it was then that Kain noticed the baby in her arms.  
~~~~~~~~~~  
"Morrigan, wake up!"  
Morrigan opened her eyes, only to see Kain's face hanging over her. He smiled as he noticed she was awake.  
"Are you all right?" Kain asked.  
"I think so," Morrigan answered; but then she realized something was amiss.  
"Kain, where's your helmet?"  
Kain looked surprised at her even asking. "You don't really think I **sleep** with that thing on, do you?"  
An image of Kain trying to sleep with that giant Dragoon helmet on his head popped into Morrigan's mind, and she started laughing.  
It was at that moment that Kain knew everything was going to turn out all right.  
~~~~~~~~~~  
Morrigan's eyes snapped open, and she began to scan the room. She saw Kain in the corner, and the girl asleep in his arms. _Good, he's asleep. I'm sorry, Kain; but I must return to Master Darkheart._  
Morrigan got up and began to walk towards the door; but then an idea came to her. Walking over to Kain's writing desk, she took a piece of paper and a quill pen and began to write.  
And when she was done, she walked to the front door, opened it, and disappeared into the night.  
"Goodbye...Kain..."  
~~~~~~~~~~  
Kain woke up the next morning, and was surprised to find a child in his arms. Confusion reigned over his mind for a few minutes, then he remembered the events of the previous night.  
_I'd better check on Morrigan,_ he decided, and got up slowly. Putting the girl onto his bed, Kain then walked over to the spot Morrigan occupied earlier that night.  
But she was gone. Kain's heart dropped into his feet.  
_She must have slipped out last night. Oh, Morrigan..._  
Sitting down at his desk to calm himself, Kain noticed the note. Picking it up to check it out, he began to read it.  
_Dear Kain,  
  
The last few weeks have been the greatest of my life. I'm glad I had this chance to get to know you. However, life isn't always fair, and sometimes you have to do things you're not proud of. I only hope that we will meet again in the future.  
Please take care of that girl for me. Her name is Krossea.  
And I wish you both happiness and good luck with the rest of your lives. Stay well for me, for one day I will see you again.  
  
Love  
  
Morrigan_  
That was the final blow; Kain put his head in his hands and began to cry. 


	2. Rydia: Preparing For The Festival

**Final Fantasy 4 Redemption Prologue - Rydia: Preparing For The Ceremony**

_9 hours..._  
Rydia sighed again. _To think, in only 9 hours I have to return home again. To Mist... And in 12 years, it hasn't been any easier to go back..._  
Walking over to her dresser, she began to prepare for the Winter Fire Festival.  
_A stupid name..._, Rydia remembered Rosa saying to her. _It sounds almost like a contradiction._  
Rydia laughed as she remembered the Chamberlain walk in and remind Rosa that it was an oxymoron, not a contradiction. _That annoying Chancellor. Always coming in at the wrong times._ And with that, Rydia laughed to herself.  
_But at least he's better than the Chancellor of Eblan... What an annoying man. It's quite clear that he wants Edge to marry that Jilia and order me exiled from Eblan forever..._  
Of course, Edge hadn't; but Rydia was becoming furious with his antics as of late.  
_12 years of hauling him home from nights of drinking... Of course I'm starting to get sick of it! Who wouldn't be sick of that!_ And Rydia frowned at her reflection in the mirror.  
Rydia once thought that Edge might love her enough to ask her to spend the rest of her life with him... But lately, all Edge has been noticing is Jilia. _I might as well be INVISIBLE; he never talks to me any more..._  
_At least I have Rosa to talk to. Maybe I should ask her what to do about this... I feel so sorry for her; what was Cecil thinking? Disappearing for 12 years, searching for his child; he doesn't even know what she looks like!_  
_Poor Rosa..._  
Rydia and Rosa had become very close during the Crystal War; and they had grown even closer over the 12 years that followed. But what really brought them together was something they had in common; their backgrounds.  
As it turned out, Rosa's mother had originally been a Caller of Mist; but fearing the people's hatred of Callers, she elected to move to Baron with her infant daughter and hide her true background from her. Rosa could have been a Caller as well; but that choice had been taken away from her.  
Unfortunately, that was the last thing that Rosa had learned from her mother...  
_And she sent a letter to me, asking if I could come to Baron to talk to her about something... I never expected this, though..._  
And from then on, Rosa and Rydia always met in Baron to make the journey to Mist together for the Winter Fire Festival.  
_To think, I actually look forward to that ceremony... It's supposed to be a day of mourning, remembering the Callers that had been killed in the fire at the beginning of the Crystal War... Killed by Cecil..._  
_But it wasn't Cecil's fault... It never was. I was just too young to see it..._  
_I'm still too young...Only 19 now... But I made the decision to return to the human world instead of staying in the Land Of Summoned Monsters..._  
Queen Asura had warned Rydia that if she returned, her body's aging would slow down to allow her mind to catch up; for in the human world, Rydia was still only 7 at the time...  
_And I don't look any older now than I did then... I guess the Queen was right; time is beginning to catch up to me again..._  
Suddenly, there came a knock on the door. Rydia spun around quickly.  
"Who's there?" she called out.  
The door opened, and in walked one of the royal guard of Eblan. "Miss Rydia, the airship from Baron has arrived for you."  
"Thank you for informing me. I'll go in a few minutes."  
The guard nodded and left.  
_Time to go to the festival. And once again, Edge isn't coming... I wonder if he even realizes how important this is to me..._  
_But then, I'm glad he isn't coming... Then he won't embarass me like he always does. Sometimes I wonder about him... One day he'll act totally normal, the next he'll come in totally drunk, and act like a complete idiot. I know I shouldn't be leaving; gives the Chancellor a chance to whisper behind my back. But I have to go. If not for me, for Rosa. I get the feeling that she's been in a depression for a number of years..._  
Rydia took one last look in the mirror before she left. _Everything looks alright. I guess I'm ready._  
And with that, Rydia walked out of her room, and towards the front of Castle Eblan.  
~~~~~~~~~  
Rydia stood on the deck of the airship and let the wind blow through her hair. _God, this feels good. I wish I could do this more often; but Eblan doesn't have a true fleet of airships. Just Falcon. And Edge is hardly ever around to fly it any more. I don't know how to fly it; neither do any of the guards._  
Rydia decided to walk up to the front of the ship and talk to the pilot. It would be better than standing around talking to herself.  
She walked around to the front of the ship, and greeted Cid. "How's it been going in Baron?"  
"Same as always. Rosa hates having to deal with all the meetings and stuff that comes with being a Queen; she shouldn't have to, but Cecil's not around to deal with it. I try to help out, but the people don't want to hear from me; they want the Queen. Same with the advisors."  
"How's Kain been doing, anyway?" Rydia asked. She remembered the last time she saw Kain, he was having serious self-confidence problems.  
"I thought Rosa told you last year that we haven't heard from him in years?" Cid asked.  
"She did; you still haven't heard from him?"  
"Nope; and nothing from Cecil either. It's like the two of them have dropped off the face of the Blue Planet."  
"Oh." Rydia felt kinda sad. She hoped, for Rosa's sake, that Cecil came back to Baron soon.  
"Excuse me, that's Baron below us. Can you go under the deck while I land?"  
"Sure." Rydia smiled and went below the deck.  
~~~~~~~~~  
As Rydia walked into the throne room of Castle Baron, she braced herself for that overwhelming feeling that she always seemed to get whenever she walked into the Baron throne room. "It's like being at the center of the planet. You can feel that some of the most important decisions in the history of the Blue Planet were made here."  
"Yes, you can." A voice behind Rydia exclaimed.  
Rydia turned around. "Hi, Rosa." And she smiled at Rosa.  
_Mother..._, Rydia thought. _I've always gotten that feeling from Rosa. When she smiles at me, it's like the smile a mother gives her daughter. And whenever I'm with her, it feels like I want her to protect me, like a mother._  
"I'm almost ready to go. I assume you're already ready, right?" Rosa asked.  
"I'm ready. Any time you want to leave. Luckily, we've got an airship to get us there fast; otherwise, we'd probably be very late." Rydia smiled again.  
"Only by a few days," Rosa stated.  
And with that, Rosa left to finish her preparations.  
_Well, this is it. The 12th Winter Fire Festival. And I get the strange feeling that something important is going to happen today. I wonder where that feeling came from..._  
And with that, Rydia decided to wait for Rosa at the entrance to Baron Castle. 


	3. Rafla: Changing Tradition

**Final Fantasy 4 Redemption Prologue - Rafla: Changing Tradition**

"What do you mean, she can't take the training?" King Yang boomed at the top of his lungs.  
The advisor didn't seem very afraid of the King's rage. But inside, he was shaking. Everyone knew that Yang was a very powerful Monk; and that he could easily hurt people with his bare hands. And he seemed mad enough to try right now.  
"Well, your Majesty, it's very simple. Your daughter can't train to be a Monk because...well...she's a girl! You know very well that girls can't handle this kind of training; it's way too physical."  
Yang just glared at him. "How do you know she can't handle it? We've never tried it before; and I think it may be time for a change in tradition."  
"WHAT!!! Your Majesty, you can't be serious..." The advisor was stunned. A **GIRL** taking the training! He'd never heard of such ridiculousness in his life.  
Yang paused for a second to gather his thoughts. "It's very simple. We'll let Rafla train for a while, then see how she feels about it. If she thinks she can keep going, then we'll let her. If she doesn't think she can handle it, then she can stop, and we'll forget this whole idea."  
"Yes, your Majesty."  
~~~~~~~~~  
Rafla was so excited she was practically bouncing off the walls. "Yaay! I get to train to be a Monk!"  
Yang couldn't help but smile at his daughter; but he had to make her understand that this was a great honor. "Rafla, listen. You're being given a major chance to do something no Princess of Fabul has ever done. You need to take this very seriously. I know you're only 6 years old, but it's time you started acting more grown up. At least towards this, anyway."  
Rafla smiled. "Of course, Daddy. I'm going to train, and I'm going to come back a great Monk like you! I promise."  
"Good luck with your training, Rafla. Just remember; you can always come back if you want to."  
"What! And come back a failure? No way!"  
Yang smiled and sent a silent prayer to the Great Light. _Please look after my daughter_, he prayed.  
~~~~~~~~~  
The drill sergeant paced back and forth, checking out the troops. "Well, you look like the most pathetic bunch of lowlife scumbags I've ever seen. Now listen up! You're not here to be whiny mama's boys! I'm going to make men out of you mice! So do what you're told, and listen!"  
Rafla was shaking; but not from fear, from excitement. She glanced around, seeing a group of boys from 5 to 10 standing at attention.  
The drill sergeant stopped in front of Rafla. "So you're King Yang's daughter! Well, know that you're not going to get any special treatment here!"  
"I don't want special treatment!" Rafla retorted.  
"Is that so? Well, we'll see in a few weeks. Now march! We're heading up to Mount Hobbs to begin the training! Let's go!"  
~~~~~~~~~  
"Come on, come on! You lazy slackers! Get your rears in gear!"  
Rafla was sweating. _Man, this is hard work. But I'm not giving up! I will succeed at this, for Daddy..._  
"Okay, stop! Time for practice sessions. You'll be paired off. Hmmm..." The drill sergeant marched up and down the lines, pairing off the children.  
"Rafla, you'll be with Skel here." Rafla nodded, then faced off with her opponent.  
_Man, what's wrong with him? His skin looks almost white, and he's the skinniest kid I've ever seen!_  
Skel smiled at Rafla. "Ready to die, Chosen One?"  
Rafla's eyes widened. Chosen One? "What are you talking about?"  
"Now you will die, for Master Darkheart and Master Zemus!" And with that, Skel attacked.  
Rafla quickly blocked Skel's attack, like she had been trained to do. _He's not playing around! I've got to knock him out before he kills me!_  
Skel attacked again, but this time Rafla was ready for him. Blocking his attack, she took him down with a nice counter attack, which knocked him out. Or so she thought...  
Turning around, Rafla prepared to walk over to the drill sergeant and report.  
"What's wrong, Chosen One? Weak? Just like your father..." Rafla turned to see Skel getting up. But something was wrong...  
Skel's eyes were glowing red! His voice had gotten so loud, even the drill sergeant had looked over to see what was going on. He smiled, and Rafla could see needle-like teeth.  
"NOW YOU DIE, PRINCESS!" Skel screamed, and charged at Rafla with an attack Rafla had never seen.  
Forced to improvise, Rafla decided to try countering with a trick her father had shown her. Standing there, she began to focus the power of her spirit into her fists. Suddenly she jumped up and screamed out one word, "Power!". And then she hit Skel with a single punch to the stomach.  
Skel's body began to disintegrate; it wasn't designed to take a shot of that magnitude. "AAAARGH! YOU GOT ME, YOU WENCH! BUT MASTER DARKHEART WILL GET YOU!!!"  
The drill sergeant ran over. "Are you alright, Rafla?"  
Rafla turned around and smiled. "Of course! That was..." Then she fainted.  
~~~~~~~~~  
"Well, that's enough, cadets! Your training for the year is complete at last. I'll expect to see you here next year, same time!"  
Rafla was happy to see the castle again; after a year of training, she was coming home!  
Yang was waiting for her, as was her mother, Aria. "Mom! Dad!" Rafla ran over to them, where they both gave her a large hug.  
"Are you alright, Rafla? I heard from the sergeant that you were attacked!" Yang asked.  
"Yeah, but it was no problem. I simply used that attack that you showed me!"  
"Well, do you want to go again next year?" Aria asked.  
"I sure do! I wouldn't miss it for the world!"  
"Very well, then. You can return to training again next year." Yang stated.  
~~~~~~~~~  
4 years later  
~~~~~~~~~  
"Nice work, men. That's enough for the year! I'll see you next year."  
Rafla walked into the castle. Now 11 years old, Rafla was finally done basic training. And thanks to her, some of the other girls were being allowed to begin training as well.  
In fact, the drill sergeant had stated that she was definitely the best of her class in hand-to-hand fighting!  
"Congratulations, Rafla! The drill sergeant told me about your accomplishment! I'm very proud of you!" Yang said when she entered the throne room.  
"I know, Daddy. Next year I start advanced training. I wonder what that's going to be like..."  
"Well, you'll have to find out next year! But for now, stay here and think about your birthday coming up! You'll be 12 years old!"  
Rafla smiled. She'd forgotten about that. Her 12th birthday! 12 years since she had been born, a few months after her father ascended the Fabul throne.  
"I do believe this will be the best birthday ever!" She cried out excitedly. 


	4. Krossea: Amazing Magic Potential

**Final Fantasy 4 Redemption Prologue -Krossea: Amazing Magic Potential**

"Krossea? Krossea, where are you?"  
Porom circled around another bookshelf, looking for the 6-year-old. "Krossea? Are you here? KROSSEA?"  
Suddenly, something caught Porom's eye. It was a flash of light reflected off silver hair. Porom knew that could mean only one thing; she had found Krossea.  
Quickly but quietly walking up to Krossea, Porom bent over and asked "What are you doing?"  
Krossea didn't even seem startled. She didn't even look up from her book. "Hello, Miss Porom. I'm just reading."  
Porom looked at Krossea with her eyebrows raised. _How does she do that?_ Porom wondered. _It's almost as if she knows I'm sneaking up behind her before I know I'm going to do it!_ Porom decided to change the subject; thinking about such things bothered her.  
"What are you reading now, Krossea? I'd have figured you'd have read every book in this library a dozen times by now."  
Krossea finally looked up from her book. Her bright blue eyes sparkled, even in the dim light. "No, Miss Porom. Even I couldn't possibly read that many books in such a short time. This is a new one I found. It's about Summoning Magic; I find it fascinating..."  
_I didn't know the Elder had a book about Summoning magic,_ Porom thought. _That's not really our speciality; belongs to the people of Mist._ "Really? What kind of Summon magic?"  
"Oh, basic summons. I doubt either of us could actually cast these spells, but it's fun to read about them anyway." Porom smiled at the little girl. _I remember when I was like that, only a few years ago. Back when we went on that journey together... Speaking of that journey, I wonder where my idiot brother is now?_  
A sudden explosion from outside brought Porom back to the present. "That's probably Palom again. Wonder what he's up to now?"  
Krossea smiled. "I have no idea; but we should go watch! Maybe it'll be as entertaining as the time he tried to start a bonfire and ended up setting half of Mysidia on fire!"  
Porom smiled; she could remember that. Palom, being his usual cocky self, had bosted that he could start a bonfire without the help of magic. Unfortunately, he'd found that it's a lot harder to control fire when not using a spell, and the fire had spread to a nearby house. If the Elder hadn't cast a Water spell to stop the fire, the whole town would have burned down.  
_And the Elder was furious. He made Palom wash and sweep the Tower of Wishing for a whole week!_  
Porom was so busy thinking that she hadn't noticed Krossea slipping out.  
~~~~~~~~~  
Krossea walked out into the square, looking for Palom. Then she heard a very familiar voice.  
"Watch, as the Mysidian genius, Palom, makes fire and water appear out of thin air!" Palom rasied his hands in the air and began chanting words. Suddenly, a stream of water appeared, seemingly out of thin air!  
"Boo! Anyone here could do that, Palom!" one of the wizards watching pointed out.  
Palom smiled. "Yes, but can anyone here do this?"  
Quickly raising his arms again, Palom chanted a few more words. And then the water stream began to fuse together, and formed into a shape.  
"Thank you, thank you!" Palom began to bow to the crowd. He didn't notice the shape disappear, then reform into an even bigger shape. That is, until someone screamed "Water Dragon!"  
"What?" Palom asked, and spun around. Only to see a Water Dragon staring him in the face.  
Palom tripped over his robes, falling to the ground with a thud. Krossea's eyes widened. Palom was going to be killed!  
Without really thinking her next actions through, Krossea ran out into the street. She began to chant words to a spell as fast as she could. "Lit 1!" she cried, and a bolt of lightning hit the monster. But it didn't seem to effect the monster.  
_Oh, no! What am I going to do?_   
Without really thinking about it, Krossea reached back to find a spellbook. Any spellbook. She grabbed one and began to chant the words to the first spell she could, knowing that if this didn't work, both her and Palom were probably dead.  
But nothing happened. Krossea's heart practically stopped. She quickly checked the front of the spellbook. It was the Summoning Spellbook she'd taken from the library! _Oh, no! That's not going to work! I've failed..._ And Krossea stood there, waiting for the Dragon to end her life.  
Suddenly, a hole appeared in space, and a Jinn popped out. He turned to the surprised Krossea and bowed, then he turned to the Dragon. With one quick movement, he covered the hapless monster in flames. It didn't even have time to shriek before it was reduced to ashes.  
The Jinn turned and bowed to Krossea again, then it disappeared into thin air, from whereever it came from, leaving a shocked Krossea behind.  
Palom picked himself up off the ground, embarrassed at what had happened. He ran up to Krossea. "Krossea, did you do that?"  
Krossea was still in a state of shock. "Yeah, I guess... I didn't know I could do that!"  
Palom gave her his usual smile, full of mischief. "That was amazing! You and I should team up; put on a show for the townspeople! Think of it!"  
Krossea smiled at Palom. "I don't think so, Palom. You keep putting on your shows alone." And with that, Krossea walked back in the direction of the library.  
~~~~~~~~~  
Later that evening, Porom walked up and knocked on Krossea's door. Krossea answered it.  
"Hey, kiddo! Where's your father?" Porom asked.  
"You know Dad; he's up on Mt. Ordeals training again. Like he always is at this time. You should have known that, Miss Porom. You're supposed to be watching after me, you and the Elder!"  
_She's right; I really should have known that._ "Listen, Krossea. I saw what you did today."  
Krossea's blue eyes widened in shock. "Am I in trouble? I didn't mean to do it..." she began to babble.  
"No, no; you're not in trouble. I wanted to talk to you about it, actually." Porom walked over and sat down on a chair. "Listen, Krossea. You should really try to keep this a secret. People in this area don't like Callers; you know that just as well as anyone. If you really want to learn how to do this, you should do it by yourself; don't even tell the Elder. I'm not sure what he might do if he found out. I can help you hide it. Actually, this is kind of unusual for me; generally, it's Palom that keeps things from the Elder, not me. But I'll help if you want me to."  
Krossea nodded. "Thanks; but I don't think I should. I don't know why I can do this; it might be a good idea that I try not to learn for now."  
"But Krossea, you do know that after a certain age, you won't be able to learn any more? That I do know about Summoning; after a certain age, one loses the ability to learn."  
Krossea shook her head; she didn't know that. "Okay, then. I think maybe I should study by myself. I just don't feel right keeping things from the Elder."  
Porom smiled; Krossea was more like her than even she thought. "Neither do I; but if you want to do this, I'll help. It'll be our secret. I'll get Palom to agree to help, too; shouldn't be too hard. Palom likes to get on the Elder's nerves; he'll probably agree to help. Good luck, Krossea."  
"Thank you, Miss Porom!"  
_This girl may just have more magical potential than any mage that has come before. I definitely have to keep an eye on her..._


	5. Aria: Innocence Lost

**Final Fantasy 4 Redemption Prologue - Aria: Innocence Lost**

The young girl smiled as her mother approached her. "Mommy, are these ones good enough?"  
The mother took the apple that her young daughter offered. "Hmmm...Looks okay, Aria. You may have found a good one!"  
Aria's eyes sparkled. "Yaaay! I found a good one!" She went back to look for more apples.  
_My beautiful angel...If it weren't for you, I wouldn't have a reason for living any more..._  
_Interesting, isn't it? I heard "retirement" was supposed to be bad; but I'm really enjoying this. Getting away from my past..._  
_I bet looking at me now that no one could ever guess that I was once General Valeria, leader of the Baronian army, the most feared army in the whole world..._  
_But I like it this way...I don't want anyone to remember that. I wish it'd never happened..._  
And Valeria began to run after her daughter, Aria. "Aria, wait for me! You're going too fast!"  
~~~~~~~~~  
"Boy, we sure got a lot of apples, didn't we, Mommy?"  
Valeria smiled. "We sure did. These should sell for quite a bit."  
"Yaaay! We're going to be rich!" And wit that, Aria skipped away.  
_Well, not rich, but pretty well off now._  
Then Valeria heard the sound of someone knocking at the door. _I wonder who it could be at this hour..._  
Valeria went and opened the door. "Yes, what can I do for you?"  
Three gruff looking men were at the door. The one in front said "General Valeria? Our Master has sent us to take you to him. He wishes you to lead his new army."  
Valeria gave them an evil look. "Haven't you heard? I'm retired. I'm not interested in fighting any more."  
"Got news for you, missy. You're going. Our Master has ordered us to take you by force, if necessary."  
"Yeah? We'll see about that!" And Valeria slammed the door in their faces.  
The three men stared at the door. "Well, then you take option 2, 'General'!" And the men began to attempt to break the door down.  
Hearing this, Valeria quickly ran to her room. She pulled out her sword, which she kept hidden in case of a situation like this. "Mommy?"  
Valeria spun around. "Aria, go and hide! We're under attack!"  
In a panic, Aria ran out of the room. _I hope she hides somewhere safe!_ Valeria walked back out into the living room. At that moment, the three men broke the door down. But Valeria was ready for them.  
With an incredibly quick movement, Valeria caught the first one in the gut with a nice slash. The man fell down, obviously wounded.  
Smiling, Valeria spun around, expecting to see the others. But they were nowhere in sight. "Okay, you scoundrels, where are you?"  
"Right here!" came a voice from behind her. But before she could spin around, the man grabbed her around the throat.  
Valeria, remembering her training, quickly stepped on the man's foot. When he screamed in pain, she spun around and slashed at his midsection. She heard the telltale double thump that said she's killed him.  
Then something hit her over the head and everything went black.  
~~~~~~~~~  
"Wha...Where am I?" Valeria stated when she finally came to.  
Valeria quickly looked around. _It's my living room; but why am I still here?_  
"Heh. Our Master told us you may not want to go. And as a result, he told us to use this option if you don't."  
_Oh, Bahamut; what option?_  
~~~~~~~~~  
Aria came out of her hiding place. _I wonder where Mommy is. I know she told me to hide, but I need to find her! She might be hurt, and need me!_  
Aria peeked around the corner. "There's Mommy; but she's tied up! And who is that guy?"  
Aria watched in horror as the stranger said something to her mother. Then, out of the blue, he picked up the sword.  
"MOMMY!" Aria screamed. But it was too late.  
The man drove the sword through her mother, and her mother's eyes closed. Then the man turned.  
"So you're Valeria's brat. Too bad I'm going to be the last thing you see."  
In a panic, Aria ran to her room. Quickly opening the window, she lifted herself out of it.  
_Yes! I got away...But Mommy! I need to see Mommy!_  
Aria ran back around to the front of the house. Checking, she saw that the man wasn't in the room; so Aria ran to her mother. "Mommy, are you alright?"  
But Valeria didn't respond. "MOMMY! NO!" Aria screamed, and she began to cry.  
"So there you are! Thought you could outwit me, eh?" the man suddenly yelled from behind her. But before Aria could get away again, he had grabbed her. "Just for that, I'm going to make you suffer before you die. Starting with this!"  
The man picked up his sword again, and swung it at Aria's face. One swing; and everything went black.  
_Mommy! Where are you?_  
Aria couldn't see, but she could hear. Something was happening outside. "Oh, no! It's the Baronian Royal Guard! What could they be doing here?"  
Then came the sound of glass breaking. _He must have jumped out the window!_ Aria concluded.  
Then came the sound of the door opening, and footsteps on the ground. "Who are you, and what do you want?" Aria screamed, afraid that it might be another thug.  
"Calm down, young one. What's your name?" came a voice. Aria thought it was the most beautiful voice she had ever heard. The man possessing it must be very wise, and Aria felt that she could trust him.  
"My name is Aria. Who are you? What happened to Mommy? And why is everything dark?"  
"To answer your questions in order, my name is Folken, and I'm a member of the Baronian Royal Guard. We heard that there was something going on here, and so we came to investigate."  
The point where the voice came from moved. "As for your mother...I'm afraid she's not going to make it. I'm very sorry..."  
"And for why everything is black, it's because that scoundrel cut your face. I don't think you'll ever be able to see again..."  
"I...I can't see any more? And Mommy..." and Aria began to cry; or, at least, she would have if she had any tears left.  
After a period of time, Aria stopped. "No...I can't cry any more. Mommy wouldn't like it."  
"Mr. Folken, can I be a member of the...Royal Guard too? I want to teach these guys a lesson for killing my Mommy!"  
The voice came again. "I don't know; but if you're willing to try, I'm willing to help. Come on, young one. I'll look after you."  
Aria couldn't see; but she could tell Mr. Folken was smiling at her. "Thank you, Mr. Folken."  
"Just call me Folken. 'Mr.' makes me feel old."  
"Okay, Folken." And Aria took Folken's hand; preparing to begin her new life, her innocence lost in the past. 


	6. The Dark Warrior: It Starts

**Final Fantasy 4 Redemption Chapter 1: The Dark Warrior - It Starts**

"I tell you, this won't work!" the large man said. "He's an ex-member of the Dark Dimension Alliance! Just because he helped your chosen doesn't mean he's changed, Al!"  
The object of the man's tirade, a beautiful blue haired woman, stood. "Trust me; this plan will work. He is the perfect catalyst. He will bring the Chosen of that world together against the darkness."  
The man sneered, then turned back to the group of people sitting on the bench. "Are you willing to risk our very existence upon this gamble?"  
The oldest member, an old man with a great white beard, rose from his seat. "Be quiet, Amperion! We've heard enough of your accusations. Let your opponent speak now." And with that, the group turned to look at Al.  
"I know this man; he was originally one of my Chosen. Just because he was a member of the Dark Dimension Alliance, doesn't mean that he's going to betray us!" She walked over to the council.  
"After all, his reaction to the alternate member he came across was pretty obvious. He has some form of natural fear of the other members. I do believe that they may have forced or threatened him into performing their tasks. However, I believe he is far more intelligent than most of their members, and maybe even more intelligent than we imagined. I do believe that he will do what is right, and bring together the Chosen of that planet for the final confrontation."  
The old man nodded. "Very well, we will go with your plan for now. After all, you introduced him into that world before we knew we needed him, so he's fit in. Sending anyone else now would be pointless, unless it was one of us directly. Obviously, one of our members could handle this job, but it would raise unwanted questions. The people in that dimension could NEVER comprehend the truth of our order."  
"Thank you, Wise Master Falgon. I know that this plan will work." Al bowed to the council, then returned to her seat.  
"Let it be known that the council is officially going ahead with this plan. The former member of the Dark Dimension Alliance will be tested for the right to be forgiven, and save the Omniverse at the same time!"  
The members of the council began to file out of the room. Al sat there, thinking. _I'm glad I was able to convince him. He was willing to die for me; I believe he will save the world, simply because it's the right thing to do._  
The man sitting next to her put his hand on her shoulder. "It will work, Ell. Trust me. I fought him, and I know. He saved his world from the Dark Dimension Alliance; why should this one be any different?"  
Ell looked at the man. "I hope you're right."  
Ell looked up and saw that Falgon had not left. "May I see you in my chambers, Lady?"  
Ell nodded. "I will be there in a few minutes."  
~~~~~~~~~  
"So, Al, why exactly did you send that man to that dimension? Tell me the truth. You could not have forseen this happening, so I believe there's another reason."  
Ell looked at Falgon. "Yes, there was. I...wanted to give him the chance to live in peace. All he had ever known was fighting. I wanted to give him a chance to live normally, and erased his memories of the past for that purpose."  
Falgon looked surprised. "You...erased his memories? Why?"  
"Those memories only brought him torment. He probably would have fallen into despair, even in a peaceful world, if he could remember all the dark things he did. This way, they don't bother him."  
"Then this comes down to one thing: The exact alignment of his soul. Is he naturally good or evil?" Falgon thought for a few minutes. "This might actually work."  
Ell smiled. "Of course it will work. I told you, he was one of my Chosen. His actions were due to a misunderstanding, and I chose to forgive him as a result. Then he proved himself worthy of a second chance at life."  
"I hope it does. Our lives are at stake in this gamble. If he turns, then we'll be dealing with two members who should both be dead. We may not be able to stop them."  
"Yes; but it's the member Zemus who is generating the threat on that world, right? He was Zemus' assistant, and he always wanted revenge for the way Zemus treated him."  
Falgon thought again. "But wasn't he handicapped by a fear of Zemus before?"  
"Yes, he was. But that was long ago, and he can't remember now. He is now Folken, the man with no past. And I **know** he'll do the right thing." 


	7. The Dark Warrior: The Winter Fire Festi...

**Final Fantasy 4 Redemption Chapter 1: The Dark Warrior - The Winter Fire Festival**

Rydia suppressed the urge to cry as she sat there, watching the festival. _Mother...I can't believe it's been 12 years since I last saw you..._  
Next to her, Rosa sat there, unmoving. Rydia periodically glanced at her, but she never seemed to notice. _I wonder how she does that; stays perfectly still. I certainly can't...but maybe that's a trick the Queen has to learn._  
Rydia glanced up at the front again. The village elder had stepped up to the podium, and was preparing to give a speech to the crowd.  
"My friends, we are gathered here today to pay rememberance to those who died in the tragic fire the day the Crystal War began. We pray to Shiva, Indra, and all the summoned monsters that their souls rest in peace."  
"I'd like to turn the floor over to Queen Rosa of Baron."  
Rydia turned to look at Rosa, but noticed she was already out of her seat, walking up to the top of the platform. She stepped in front of the podium and cleared her throat.  
"Every year, we gather here to remember those who died in that senseless tragedy. Despite great hardship and loss, we were successfully able to stop a great evil and avenge the loss of those we hold dear. I know that this knowledge can't bring those who died back, but at least take some comfort in knowing that the cause of this tragedy was finally defeated, and will never be heard from again..."  
"I wouldn't say that, Queen," sneered a mocking voice that seemed to come from behind the podium. Rydia was on the podium in seconds, trying to see if she could do something to possibly protect Rosa or the elder. The Baronian Guard moved in to do the same.  
The man who had spoken climbed to the top of the platform, staring at Rosa. "You say the Crystal War is over, that the darkness has been pushed back; but you forgot about me! Now I have returned to wreak my vengeance upon you, Baron, and those who dared to shame me!"  
"Rocalon! Stop! You have no chance of succeeding at your dark objective!" Rosa cried in response. "Your evil is no match for the might of Baron, and you know it!"  
Rocalon just laughed. "So you think my power isn't enough to completely obliterate Baron? Well, why don't I give you a taste of my power, as a reminder of exactly how powerful I REALLY am!" And with that, Rocalon turned and gestured at a house in the background.  
The house burst into flame, and the flames quickly carried over to the next house. People scrambled to get water, trying desperatly to put the flames out; but it was to no avail. The mystic fire was unquenchable.  
The Baronian Guard prepared to charge at Rocalon, but one gesture stopped them in their tracks. They screamed in anguish, knowing that they were unable to do anything to save their Queen. Rydia, too, found herself frozen in place, and, thinking quickly, pulled a Heal Potion out of the bag she always carried with her.  
Rocalon turned back to Rosa. "Now you see? My power is beyond your pitiful comprehension. But there is one who's power is equal to my own...and that is why I am here. You tell Folken that I'll see him in Kaipo, or I'll wipe it off the face of the Blue Planet! You be sure to deliver this message to him, your Majesty!" Rocalon then turned and calmly strolled out of Mist.  
Or at least he tried to.  
Rydia jumped on Rocalon, attacking him while he wasn't looking. She quickly began to summon, knowing that standard Black Magic, even as strong as hers, wouldn't be enough to defeat this man. Rocalon also got up, anger flaming in his eyes. He planned on destroying this young upstart, who dared to attack him; but a better idea came to him.  
"Your magic is your life, isn't it? You've always strived to try and be as powerful as you can, to prevent something like this from happening. Well, what if you were to lose all the power you gained?" And Rocalon gestured again.  
Rydia screamed as she felt the words to her spells fade from her mind. She quickly tried to remember her spells, but all she could remember was basic Black and Summon Magic; the same magic she knew when she was young...  
Rocalon just laughed. "Come back when you're a match for me. Until then, just deliver the message. I'll see you around, your Majesty!" Rocalon turned around and walked out of Mist, heading for Kaipo.  
Gasping in relief, Rosa quickly ran over to Rydia. "Are you all right, Rydia?"  
"No, I'm not all right! That...that...he stole my spells! I can't remember anything stronger than Fire1!" And now Rydia began to cry, unable to hold her tears back.  
One of the Baronian Guard walked up to Rosa. "What should we do, your Majesty?"  
Rosa thought for a minute. She stared at the burning village, then replied, "You know where Folken is, Aria? We need to find him, fast; or the whole world may be doomed." 


	8. The Dark Warrior: Folken's Anger

Final Fantasy 4 Redemption Chapter 1: The Dark Warrior - Folken's Anger 

**Final Fantasy 4 Redemption Chapter 1: The Dark Warrior - Folken's Anger**

Out in the woods south of Baron, a man lived. This man was once the most powerful of the Baronian Guard, but left the Guard after one incident. He blamed himself for that incident, and refused to ever return, even when he was asked to by the new King and Queen. This man's true name was lost in time and memory, and now he only answers to one thing:  
Folken.  
That particular day, Folken was out hunting. It was a necessary evil of living out in the forest, for Folken refused to even set foot in Baron again, because it would be a violation of his self-imposed exile. He had managed to catch himself a few deer, and was returning to his cabin with them when he noticed that smoke was floating away from his house.  
_Who DARES to break into my house? By the Goddess, they will pay DEARLY!_  
Dropping his dinner, Folken pulled out his sword. He quickly snuck up to the door of his house, being very careful not to make a sound. Then, with one fluid motion, Folken kicked the door in and brought his sword to bear on the adversary. He prepared to deal the killing stroke, then reversed himself.  
"Aria? Aria, what are you doing here? I told you I wanted to be left alone!"   
"I asked her to bring me here," a voice from the shadows stated. It came into the light, and Folken realized he was staring at the Queen of Baron, Rosa. Folken also noticed a girl with green hair in the other corner. In his anger at Aria, he hadn't noticed her.   
"Well, what do you want? I'm a very busy man, and I have lots of stuff to do. So please state your business and be gone!"   
Aria opened her mouth to berate him, but felt a touch on her shoulder. Looking up, she saw Rosa, and decided not to say anything.   
Rosa took a few more steps forward, then spoke one word.   
"Rocalon."   
Folken's eyes widened, and he stared into Rosa's eyes. "Rocalon's back? But how? Why?"   
Rosa suppressed the feeling to look away, and forced herself to meet Folken's gaze. "We don't know for sure, but we do know that Rocalon has torched Mist, and has threatened to do the same thing to Kaipo unless you appear there to meet him in battle."   
Folken snickered. "And exactly why do you think coming here will change anything? I'm not THAT stupid. It's obviously a trap. Let the people of Kaipo worry about it, not me."   
Aria couldn't stand it any longer. "What happened to you, Folken? When I first met you, you were a kind and generous man, and all the knights look up to you. But since you let Rocalon get close to King Odin, you've become one of the darkest individuals I've ever known. Why would you even consider sacrificing those people, when you KNOW you can defeat him?"   
Folken looked at her. "Two reasons. First of all, I'm no longer an active member of society. I could care less about what happens to the people of the Blue Planet, as long as it doesn't happen to me. Second, there's no guarantee that I could beat him."   
While Folken rattled away, Rosa looked at Aria and winked. Then she turned to Rydia and winked again. "Yeah, Rocalon said you'd be too much of a coward to dare showing up. He said that you weren't really worth fighting, but you're better than no one."   
Folken turned, anger apparent in his face. "WHAT? That son of a...he'll pay for slandering me! All right, I'm in! I'll go to Kaipo and finish that guy off!"   
"And I'm going with you," Aria quickly interjected.   
Folken turned back to her. "No, you're not. You can't handle it because..."   
"Are you planning on saying 'because you're a girl', Folken?" Aria countered. She was obviously angry.   
"No, actually I was going to say you have duties to the Queen, and to Baron, and you can't just give up on them to go adventuring with me! You're supposed to be Captain of the Baronian Guard. Where's your honor?"   
Aria just glared at him. "You're a fine one to talk about honor, considering less than five minutes ago you were planning on letting the people of Kaipo die in order to save your own life! But you're right; I need to be in Baron, protecting the Queen..."   
Rydia, who had been hiding in the corner, finally spoke up. "However, I AM going, and I don't want to hear any no's. Rocalon torched my hometown AGAIN, and stole my magic spells, and I AIM to make him pay for it."   
Folken turned to her. "And exactly how were you planning on helping me without your spells, little girl?"   
Rydia's eyes flashed. "LITTLE GIRL? I am physically 18 years old, and mentally around 30 years old. I'm NOT a little girl, and I never want to hear you call me that again! My name is Rydia, and you'd be wise to remember that!"   
Rosa turned to Rydia in shock; generally, Rydia was pretty outgoing and friendly. She didn't explode at people like that very often.   
"As for how I'm going to help you, we'll figure that out when we get there. But I'm going, whether you want me to or not. If you say no, I'll just follow you!"   
Folken sighed, having heard this line of conversation before. "Very well. Just don't get in my way. I'll be ready to go in the morning; if you're not ready, I'm leaving you behind!"


	9. The Dark Warrior: A Nighttime Interlude

**Final Fantasy 4 Redemption Chapter 1: The Dark Warrior - A Nighttime Interlude**

Aria stirred in her sleep. "Ah, Mommy, no!" she cried out, then she awoke.  
_That same dream again...the same one I've been having since I was little..._  
Aria shook her head. _But still...I still think of that time in my life...sometimes I wish I was still back there, instead of where I am now..._  
Suddenly, Aria looked around. Queen Rosa was sleeping in the one corner, and Rydia in the other; she could tell by their breathing. But Folken was obviously not in the room; his breathing was too loud to possibly be missed, even among the others. _I wonder where he went..._  
Aria quietly slipped out of the cabin, trying not to wake any of the others. It wasn't hard, for her lack of eyesight made it very difficult, but Aria had been doing it for years, and she knew just what to do. Outside, Aria could hear Folken's breathing, obviously coming from the hillside near the cabin. Quietly, she slipped over there, and listened to him.  
"Why me? Why is it I have to go and deal with Rocalon? I didn't ask for this...all I wanted was to lead a peaceful life! But now I have to leave behind everything I've created here and go chasing after him?"  
"I'm not a Baronian guardsman anymore! It's not my problem anymore..."  
Aria shook her head. "But you're wrong. It is your problem; Rocalon is everyone's problem. You know he doesn't care about anyone or anything, except his own power..."  
Suddenly, Aria slipped. She braced herself, preparing to fall down the hill, but it never happened. Aria suddenly realized that Folken had caught her as she was falling.  
"Aria, why aren't you sleeping? You should be sleeping, not listening to me..."  
Aria shook her head. "I couldn't sleep. The same dream again..."  
Aria got a sense that Folken was giving her a sad look. "Yeah...that time...I'm sorry..."  
"Why are you sorry? It wasn't your fault. You **did** save me..."  
Folken smiled. "I guess you're right...You were listening to me, weren't you? I imagine you don't understand me. Sometimes, I don't understand myself..."  
Aria's head lifted to Folken's eyes. "You're right. Sometimes I don't understand you...sometimes it's like you don't feel anything at all. But a man who felt nothing would never have saved me the way you did, back then. So I get confused..."  
Folken looked at her. "I said I would fight Rocalon. I didn't do it for the sake of Queen Rosa, or of that girl Rydia, or because I think it's the right thing to do, or any of that. I have my own reasons..."  
Shock appeared on Aria's face. "You still want to show him you're the stronger one?"  
"Yes...but I think there's something more than that to it as well..."  
"What, Folken? You know you can tell me...you can tell me anything..."  
"The truth is...while I was saying no, I thought about Rocalon. I know he would do anything to hurt me, to try and goad me into coming out. And the thought that frightened me the most...was the thought that he might try doing something to you to get at me..."  
"ME? Why me? I'm just your apprentice..."  
Folken smiled again. "No, you're not. You've never been that. It's always been more than that. I've watched you grow, since you were little. You know, you've changed a lot since that time, but I haven't changed one bit. I watched you get stronger, and become even more brave than me. When Rosa told me she wanted me to go, I knew you would want to go too, and that frightened me even more than Rocalon. I want you to stay in Baron, where it's safe. Leave Rocalon to me."  
Aria smiled. "Folken, you've changed the subject. Why are you so concerned about me? You know I can handle myself; you're the one who trained me, after all. And now I'm the leader of the Queen's Protectors."  
Foken nodded. "Yes, that's true. I know you can handle yourself. However, I'm still afraid for you...so promise me you'll stay in Baron, and not follow after me. Please swear it on your mother's name..."  
Aria sobbed. She wished she still had tears so she could cry properly. "I...I swear on the name of my mother Valeria, that I will not try to follow you after Rocalon..."  
"Aria, you're by far the most amazing person I've ever met. Please stay strong, for me..."  
Aria smiled. "Folken, is the moon out tonight?"  
"Yes, it is. It's a full moon, and it throws such a light down upon this planet..."  
"I wish I could see it..."  
"Maybe someday you will. You never know..."  
Aria leaned her head upon Folken's shoulder, as she used to do when she was little, and fell asleep. No more nightmares haunted her for the rest of the night, as she slept there, on Folken's shoulder. 


	10. The Dark Warrior: Showdown In Mist Cave

**Final Fantasy 4 Redemption Chapter 1: The Dark Warrior - Showdown In Mist Cave**

"Come on, girl! You're too slow!" Folken cried back to Rydia.  
"I'm trying my hardest, you know! But when you're sprinting ahead faster than I can run, I'm not going to have an easy time keeping up!" Rydia cried back. She finally covered the distance to where Folken was standing.  
_Why did I have to get stuck babysitting?_, Folken thought to himself as Rydia ran up. The mouth of a cave loomed before them.  
"Mist Cave..." Rydia stated. Her mind had wandered back into the past, to when she lived in Mist Village. "Protected from outsiders by a Mist Dragon...My mother's Mist Dragon..."  
Folken glanced at her. "I don't think there's anyting major in it now, though. Come on, we'd better get through quickly. We have to get to Kaipo!"  
"Sorry; it's just...been a while since I had to pass through this cave. Usually I go with Rosa on airship..."  
But Folken was way ahead of her. "Come on, let's go!" he cried back.  
~~~~~~~~~  
The cave was eerily quiet..._Too quiet_, Folken thought.  
"I'd suggest being on your guard. There's something...wrong here...," he informed Rydia behind him.  
"Like what? I don't feel anything...," Rydia responded.  
"If I knew what it was, I wouldn't be so worried!" Folken practically screamed at her.  
"Sorry!" Rydia screamed, half sarcastically. She was getting really sick of this guy and his "I know everything" attitude, treating her like a child.  
Folken took a few careful steps forward, and he was rewarded with a dark voice. "GO BACK!" it cried out.  
Rydia's eyes widened. "It can't be..."  
Folken glanced back at her. "Well, come on! We'll have to figure this out later!"  
Rydia ran up, thinking to herself. _That sounded just like my mother's Mist Dragon...but it can't be her..._  
~~~~~~~~~  
"Look! There's the exit! Finally out of this confounded mist!" Folken stated.  
Rydia smiled. "Finally! I was getting sick of being unable to see anything..."  
"STOP!" the dark voice cried out.  
Rydia started shaking, but Folken wasn't afraid. "What do you want?"  
"YOU CANNOT PASS! NO ONE IS ALLOWED TO PASS THROUGH THIS CAVE!"  
"Well, we're passing through! Just try and stop us!" Folken cried. He charged towards the exit, but was propelled backwards by what appeared to be an invisible wall.  
"What the hell?" Folken cried, pulling himself to his feet.  
Suddenly, the mist began to gather. "No!" Rydia cried. "The guardian...he's coming!"  
The mist formed into a gigantic Mist Dragon. "NO ONE MAY PASS!" it cried out.  
Rydia just stared at it. "M..Mother?" she cried.  
Folken, however, was not phazed. Pulling out his sword, he quickly slashed at the dragon, trying to disable it. However, no wounds appeared.  
_This dragon isn't real...Rocalon! This must be one of his illusions, trying to make us turn back!_ Folken suddenly realized.  
Then Folken spotted Rydia walking towards the dragon. "Mother!" she cried at it.  
"Rydia, no! This is a trick by Rocalon! It's not REAL!" Folken cried out, but Rydia didn't listen.  
"Mother, why? Why won't you let me through? It's me, Rydia...your daughter!" Rydia cried at the dragon. The dragon's head bowed down and stared her right in the eyes.  
Rydia's eyes widened. "You're not my mother!" Visibly angered, Rydia pulled her whip off her belt and struck the Mist Dragon with a painful blow.  
"You fake! How dare you impersonate my mother!" Rydia cried, and struck down the dragon again. It shuddered once, and faded away into the mist.  
Rydia, somewhat exhausted, took a few minutes to catch her breath. "I wonder what exactly that was..."  
"It was an illusion by Rocalon. He reads people's minds and figures out how best to hurt them mentally. In your case, attacking you with the vision of your mother," Folken responded, coming up behind her. "But you beat his illusion."  
"Her eyes...they weren't the eyes of my mother. They were the eyes of a demon..." Rydia stated. "I used to live with the Summoned Monsters, and no monster there had eyes like that..."  
Folken smiled at her. "Well, we'd better be moving on. Something tells me this means Rocalon knows we're coming..."  
Rydia nodded, and walked out of the cave behind Folken. A small part of the mist floated behind her, and attached to the back of her outfit; but Rydia didn't notice it.  
~~~~~~~~~  
"Damn!" Rocalon cried. "They beat my illusion! I guess that girl is stronger than I thought she was. Bah, I have more traps in store for them..."  
A few people stared at Rocalon strangely when he uttered that statement. "What are you looking at?" he asked them ignorantly, and gave them a really nasty look. The people quickly moved on.  
"Oh, well. Come to me, Folken! I'm waiting for you here!" Rocalon cried. "And I will destroy you, in the name of Master Darkheart and the allmighty god Zemus! You just wait!"  
And with that, Rocalon began to laugh at the sky. Dark, hollow laughter, that seemed to mock everybody and everything around him... 


	11. The Dark Warrior: Rydia's Sorrow

**Final Fantasy 4 Redemption Chapter 1: The Dark Warrior - Rydia's Sorrow**

Finally, Rydia and Folken arrived in Mist. "Uh...Folken?" Rydia asked.  
Folken turned to Rydia. "Yeah, what is it now?"  
Rydia looked at the ground sadly. "There's...something I want to do while I'm here. Mind if we stop for a short time?"  
Folken narrowed his eyes. "We don't really have time to stop...We have to get to Kaipo!"  
"I know...but this is important to me..."  
"Fine. Meet me by the mountain pass when you're ready to go. I'll be waiting there!"  
Rydia stared after Folken. _That man certainly is a strange one...I wonder why he's so mad so often..._  
_Oh, well; guess I shouldn't be thinking about that now. Got more important things to do..._  
~~~~~~~~~  
"The graveyard..." Rydia stated to herself. "Where all the greatest Callers of Mist were buried...."  
Rydia began to walk up and down the rows of graves, looking for one in particular. Finally, she found it, half-buried and hidden in the corner.  
"Mother...I'm sorry I haven't come to see you at all in 12 years..."  
Rydia began to cry. "I miss you so much...I wish you were still here. I need so much advice on so many things, and I don't know what to do..."  
"But I am here..." a strange voice cried. It seemed to come from everywhere at once, and Rydia was so shocked, she began to look around for the source. "Mother?" she asked.  
Suddenly, the small piece of mist attached to the back of her dress flew off. It landed in front of the grave, and formed into the shape of a human. "Rydia..." it stated.  
Rydia's eyes widened in shock. "M...Mother? Is it really you this time, or another one of Rocalon's tricks?"  
The image of Rydia's mother smiled. "Why don't you look into my eyes and find out?"  
Rydia walked up and glanced in the image's eyes "Mother! It really is you this time!" And Rydia tried to hug her.  
Rydia's mother looked shocked and worried as Rydia tried to embrace her, and fell right through her instead. "I'm sorry, Rydia. I'm not really here right now, and I can't touch you...I wish I could..."  
Rydia turned and looked at her again. "Mother, I'm confused. Why is Rocalon so determined to scare me away? Why doesn't Edge notice me anymore? Why do I feel incomplete?"  
Rydia's mother smiled at her. "Well, Rocalon is afraid of you. That's why he's trying to scare you away. Although you may not know it, you have more power than you've used already...You just have to find the key to unlocking it..."  
"That is one of the things Rocalon's master fears now...As for Edge, fate has chosen a different path for him than the one you wish to occur...I'm very sorry, especially for you...I know you care dearly for him, and he does so for you, but there is one he cares for, even more than you..."  
Rydia looked at the ground sadly. "I know. Jilia. I felt that the second she arrived at Eblan...Edge noticed her immediately, and hasn't noticed me since..."  
"Rydia, the reason you feel incomplete is because you're not doing what you were meant to do...But that's not your fault..."  
Rydia looked up in shock, her sadness at the answer to the second question momentarily forgotten. "What do you mean, Mother? What is it I have to do now?"  
"There is another young Caller girl...Her name is Krossea. She lives in Mysidia...And she has no one to teach her the Summoning magic that belongs to her and her family...She needs someone with experience to show her how to control her powers...For she..."  
"She is the future of our people...If she never develops her full Caller powers, the Callers will never reappear on the Blue Planet. But if she does...her family will pass down the gift, and the Callers will be saved once more...And the person meant to teach her the power..."  
"...is you, Rydia. That is your destiny..."  
"My destiny...is to pass on my powers to this girl, Krossea? So that the Caller line will continue?"  
"That's right, Rydia. That is why you feel incomplete. If you do not do this, you will be the last Caller...Your soul knows this, and thus causes you to feel sadness. The sadness will depart, if you do this task..."  
"But what about Rocalon? I have to help Folken deal with Rocalon! I can't just leave to find this girl!"  
"No, you have to help, and you have to get your spells back. Confronting Rocalon will return your powers to you...And the path you are on now will eventually lead you to Krossea...Just watch for her, and when you find her, keep her with you...And you will be able to complete your destiny..."  
"Mother...I miss you so much...I wish you could stay with me..."  
"I know, Rydia. I love you too...But I can't stay with you. The dead must move on...we can't linger in the land of the living. Just remember...I will always be with you...for I am a part of you..."  
Rydia's mother began to fade, and Rydia began to cry. "Mother...I love you!"  
"I know..." she replied as she faded away.  
Rydia finally collapsed, and she began to cry. "Mother...Thank you! I won't let you down..."  
~~~~~~~~~  
"Al, what are you doing!" Falgon suddenly cried, as he came up from behind the girl.  
"Oh, Falgon! I'm sorry...I just felt that girl needed a bit of...prodding in the right direction..." Ell replied. "So I appeared to her as her mother, in order to push her in the right direction..."  
Falgon glared at her. "You know we're not supposed to directly interfere like that! What ARE you doing?"  
"I'm trying to make sure this works out! You know as well as I do that if any of the 10 Chosen Ones back out, ESPECIALLY the two 12 year old girls, Krossea and Rafla, this whole plan won't work..."  
"Yes, I know. I'm sorry. Maybe it's time our Alliance relooked our 'no interference' policy..."  
"And yes, I know the importance of those girls. Rafla and Krossea are the ones who are going to change the history of their worlds, and they will join our Alliance when they become older. Just like you did, and I did, and the rest of our Alliance members."  
Ell nodded. "So it's important that we keep the future progressing in the right direction. If it means our interference in this matter, we should do it. Only the 10 Chosen Ones can possibly stop the 10 Dark Ones that have appeared there now."  
"Actually, Al, there's something I need to talk to you about...We may have a Dark Dimension Alliance mole in the council...Therefore, I believe eventually our intereference may become necessary..." 


	12. The Dark Warrior: Desert Ambush

**Final Fantasy 4 Redemption Chapter 1: The Dark Warrior - Desert Ambush**

Rydia quickly ran up to the mountain pass. "Sorry about that. I had...some stuff I had to take care of."  
"Whatever," Folken sternly said. "Let's just go, before Rocalon grows impatient and decides to destroy Kaipo!"  
_What a grouch! What IS this guy's problem?_ Rydia thought to herself. _Bah, better just go. Have plenty of time to figure him out._  
~~~~~~~~~  
"Damcyan desert..." Rydia exclaimed. "I remember last time I was here, with Cecil...12 years ago..."  
"Well, though I'm sure the story is interesting, we don't really have time for trips down memory lane, do we?" Folken stated. "Kaipo is only a short journey away; and there, we fight Rocalon. I don't think you could have faced anything in your life like him..."  
_Oh, I don't know about that..._, Rydia thought to herself.  
~~~~~~~~~  
"Damn, I forgot how hot it was here. I hope we don't catch Desert Fever...I remember seeing Rosa like that..."  
Folken glanced back. "What's Desert Fever?"  
Rydia smiled. "It's a condition people not from this area tend to get when they wander around too long in the desert. Rosa got lost trying to find Cecil, and she ended up catching it. Cecil, and Edward, and me...we went to the Antlion's Nest to get a Sandruby, to cure the condition..."  
"I see. Well, I guess if we keep moving...It should be all right."  
Rydia nodded. "Yeah, I suppose..."  
_I really can't believe it's been 12 years since that journey. I remember when we first came to Kaipo, I was angry and frustrated. My mother had just died, and I was blaming Cecil for my problems. But Cecil protected me from the Baronian Guards that came to Kaipo to kill me...And I chose to join him that day..._  
_It's actually a rather dark thought now...That I was willing to blame a man that innocent for such a dark act. Of course it wasn't Cecil's decision to perform the deed he did that day. He was tricked by the King, and I found out from him that it was actually Kainazzo, the Fiend Of Water, acting on orders from Zemus, who chose to destroy my hometown and almost destroy my people..._  
She was drawn out of her inner monologue by an odd sight. The sand appeared to be swirling in a whirlpool!  
"Folken, look out!" Rydia cried, trying to warn him.  
"Don't worry, I see it," Folken replied. "Probably a monster. Just be on your guard!"  
Rydia quickly reached over and pulled her whip free. "I'm ready for anything!"  
Suddenly, the sand in the middle of the hole parted, and a dark monstrosity with 10 eyes and 100 legs popped out of the hole. "A giant centipede!" Rydia gasped, and prepared for a strike.  
The creature turned to look at Rydia, and it's mouth opened wide. It let out an ear-piercing screech that was probably heard by everyone in the desert, and suddenly began to charge.  
Rydia, thinking quickly, jumped out of the way of the creature's lunge, and turned to strike it down with her whip. In the corner of her eye, she spotted Folken lunging at the creature with his sword.  
The creature, sensing Rydia wasn't paying any attention to it, chose that moment to strike at her. Rydia was thrown off-balance, and before she could stop herself, she found herself flung into the sand whirlpool.  
"Folken, help!" Rydia cried, realizing she couldn't save herself alone. "You have to pull me out of here!"  
"Rydia, hold on!" Folken replied. With a single slice, he brought the centipede down. "Stupid beast. Must be more of Rocalon's tricks."  
"FOLKEN!" Rydia cried, and Folken turned towards her.  
"Hold on! I'll get you out!"  
Folken began to glance around, looking for something to use to pull Rydia out of the pit. But there was nothing. "Do you have anything I could use to pull you out?"  
"Well, if my arms were free, I'd toss you my whip. But it's kind of hard like this!" Rydia replied.  
Folken fell to the ground, and tried to reach out to grab Rydia's hand. He didn't feel anything the first few times, then he felt Rydia's hand grasp onto his.  
"Hold on, I'll have you out of there in a minute!" Folken cried, and he stood up and began to pull as hard as he could. But the whirlpool was too strong.  
"Damn! I can't pull you out...I'm not strong enough..."  
Suddenly, Rydia's hand slipped. "NOOOOOOO!" she cried as the whirlpool dragged her down into the murky abyss below. The whirlpool suddenly began to recede, until it disappeared completely.  
Folken dropped to one knee, and brought his fist down upon the sand. "Damn, I couldn't save her..."  
Tears began to come to his eyes. "Damn you, Rocalon! I WILL kill you, for all the innocents you've killed in cold blood..."  
~~~~~~~~~  
"Unngh..."  
Rydia's eyes opened, and she began to survey her surroundings.  
"I'm alive! But where am I?" Rydia began to think.  
"I was...pulled under the desert. But that must mean this cavern runs under the Damcyan desert! It must be..enormous...Wait a minute!"  
A smile slowly began creeping over Rydia's face. "The water...this cavern must be part of the Underground Waterway system between Kaipo and Damcyan! And that means...I could still make it to Kaipo in time!"  
Rydia quickly pulled herself to her feet. "Okay, let's see...Kaipo is that way, there must be a way up. The lights...they suggest people have been here before. That must mean there's an entrance either near or in Kaipo..." 


End file.
